Chapter 123: Can this be called together?
In the living room, two people were talking quietly. In the kitchen, another two were also speaking in hushed tones.
“My mom bought this hand cream; it’s definitely the good stuff. Don’t skimp on it just because you don’t want to use it,” Xu Qing whispered mischievously to Jiang He, glancing outside with a sly smile. “She probably noticed the calluses on your hands and felt bad for you, so she picked it out to help you take better care of them.”
Jiang He froze for a mont. If Xu Qing hadn’t ntioned it, she wouldn’t have realized how thoughtful Zhou Suzhi’s gift was.
Hands… needing external care?
Should her hands beco as soft and smooth as a noble lady’s, just for this guy to ss around with them?
Her face suddenly turned red.
“The only thing that needs careful care is a sword,” she muttered.
“No, not the sword—you do,” Xu Qing shook his head. “That sword of yours should be put away. If you want to practice, I’ll buy you a new one so other day.”
He suddenly rembered that the sword could probably carry traces of things, like DNA. Constant cleaning wouldn’t remove everything.
“Best not to keep waving that thing around.”
“Okay.” Jiang He continued staring at her hands. Xu Qing had even stopped her from doing the dishes, claiming the detergent would harm her skin. This guy was just… too… too…
Too much of a scoundrel.
In the living room, Winter lon lay sprawled across Zhou Suzhi’s lap, its tailtip gently swaying. Many cats liked to flick their tails like that—whether it was a sign of comfort, boredom, or deep thought was unclear. It was just like people tapping their fingers or shaking their legs while thinking.
“At first, I thought they weren’t doing too well, but now it seems they’re doing quite fine. Look at how tidy this place is…” Zhou Suzhi had stopped bringing up the topic of buying a house with her stubborn husband. She gently stroked Winter lon while glancing around at the small objects in the living room. Every detail made it clear this was a ho shared by two people, a woman included—a stark contrast to the ho of soone living alone.
But it was so well-organized that it felt a little off. It was hard to imagine this was a place lived in by two young people. Suddenly, a thought struck her. “Do you think they cleaned up thoroughly just because we were coming over?”
Xu Wenbin shook his head. “It was like this last ti I ca by unannounced.”
Hearing that, Zhou Suzhi relaxed and even felt a bit happy. “We should get a cat too.”
“What for? Isn’t life already troubleso enough?”
“Because they look nice.”
Zhou Suzhi held onto Winter lon, unwilling to let go. The chubby cat was incredibly docile and not the least bit skittish around strangers. Xu Wenbin, however, found the scene unappealing and shifted further away. “It’ll shed. Just wait till its fur sticks to you and see how you deal with that.”
“It doesn’t shed.”
“That’s because it’s not the season yet.”
The two whispered as they kept observing the living room, their thoughts spinning. When Xu Qing ca out with tea for the two of them, Zhou Suzhi finally let Winter lon go, allowing it to roam on its own.
“Do you still go fishing?” Xu Wenbin asked, noticing the fishing rod in the corner and starting the conversation.
“When we’re bored, we go for fun. Otherwise, what else are we supposed to do with our ti?” Xu Qing’s reply instantly caused Xu Wenbin’s blood pressure to spike.
So, you’re aware you have too much free ti?!
You’d rather go fishing than make plans for your future.
Zhou Suzhi hesitated to speak, glancing at Jiang He before comnting, “Fishing is nice. It cultivates patience, relieves stress, and helps steady one’s temperant. It’s good for young people.”
Good? They should be thinking about marriage and kids, not fishing!
“Exactly. Have you noticed how I’ve changed recently?” Xu Qing asked proudly, making a casual punching motion as he spoke. The move was sharp and powerful, leaving Xu Wenbin and Zhou Suzhi montarily stunned.
It was evident he had changed, but pinpointing the specifics was difficult.
Temperant is a subtle thing, like Xu Qing’s first impression of Jiang He: a clear sense of uniqueness. That uniqueness beca even more noticeable to those who already knew him.
Xu Qing was like that now.
Once a late-rising gar who stayed up till noon, he had transford in just a few months through martial arts practice, early rising, and a healthier lifestyle. Xu Qing himself barely noticed the change, but to Xu Wenbin, the transformation felt slightly unfamiliar.
“You…” Xu Wenbin began but then stopped. He took a sip of tea, contemplating the reflection in the cup.
Just last fall, this kid was obsessed with Liu Bei’s straw sandals, doing nothing serious…
“Drink your tea,” Xu Qing said cheerfully. “We have everything we need here. If anything’s missing, just let us know. Don’t shortchange yourselves.”
Xu Wenbin quietly finished his tea, stood up, and gestured to Xu Qing. “Show that thing.”
“What thing?” Zhou Suzhi asked.
Xu Wenbin didn’t answer, but Xu Qing understood imdiately. With a smile, he got up. “The thing we talked about last ti… Jiang He, keep my mom company.”
The two headed to another room, leaving Jiang He and Zhou Suzhi in the living room. Each held a cup of tea as they chatted.
“What does he do all day?”
“He makes videos—cutting up movies and stitching them back together,” Jiang He said, mimicking a cutting motion with her hands.
She didn’t fully grasp the process but had researched the concept and even attempted it herself. However, lacking a sense of current trends and an extensive library of films like Xu Qing, she couldn’t make anything noteworthy.
“So, just making videos and fishing?”
“No, there’s more. We eat breakfast together in the morning, and if we’re free, we might go fishing. Otherwise, he just plays on the computer.”
Jiang He didn’t ntion Xu Qing’s martial arts training; he had warned her against it. Otherwise, the older couple might think he was ntally unstable.
A gar suddenly practicing martial arts every day? Definitely abnormal.
“In the afternoon, he’ll watch that gambling… uh, the stock market.”
“Stock market?” Zhou Suzhi’s eyebrows shot up.
“Yeah, that’s it.”
“Oh~” Zhou Suzhi relaxed, chuckling softly. “Calling it a casino isn’t wrong either.”
“Make sure you watch over him. Don’t let him sink too much money into it. That kind of thing is just a trap…”
“He’s made so money there.”
“Winning and losing is normal. Just don’t put in too much. You two should… um, keep each other in check, you know?”
Jiang He blinked, confused. “What do you an?”
“What do I an? You’re living together; you figure it out!” Zhou Suzhi waved her hand dismissively. “Just keep an eye on him.”
“Okay, I’ll supervise him.”
“Supervise… sure.” Zhou Suzhi found it odd but didn’t dwell on it. At least having a woman around was better than him being alone.
anwhile, in the other room, Xu Wenbin glanced at the layout and asked in surprise, “You’re not living together?”
“She has her own room. Didn’t I already tell you?”
“The storeroom?”
“Yep.”
Xu Wenbin frowned, puzzled. “Why?”
“Why what?” Xu Qing replied matter-of-factly. “We’re not married. Is it weird to have separate rooms?”
“… Did you two fight?”
“No.”
After a mont of silence, Xu Wenbin said, “That’s not what your mom told .”
“What did she say?” Xu Qing was baffled. He still hadn’t figured out why she’d given him balloons during the New Year.
“She said you two wake up together every day.”
“We do—she in her room, in mine. We wake up, wash up, and have breakfast together.”
???
Are you kidding ?!
Xu Wenbin adjusted his glasses and stared silently at Xu Qing.
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